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Rick Cavasin (cav@bnr.ca) wrote:: Can anyone recommend a source for Barbour's #50 linen thread: in assorted colours? I've been able to find browns, black, white,: and even a dark green, but that's it. I'd be very keen to get: my hands on any other colours.

: I understand that this thread used to be used as a buttonhole thread

: Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I've been buying Barbour linen thread from Mid-Continent Leather Sales, PO Box 4691, Tulsa, OK 74159 (1-800-926-2061 or 1-918-747-2061). They only carry the white, but I have always dyed my thread to colour myself. They sell it in 1000 yd. spools.

Undyed thread is not a problem, as most bookbinder's supply houses carryit in a variety of weights. I'm looking for the dyed thread for workingendbands in bookbinding. Endbands are often worked in silk, but for astyle of binding I'm working on right now, linen is more appropriate. Sinceendbands are typically worked with 2 or more colours of thread, alternating,it is important that the weight, texture, etc. match.

Linen is notoriously difficult to dye, even with modern dyestuffs. Althoughmany people dye linen thread with leather dye, and it seems to work to someextent, I'mpersonally uncomfortable with doing this, since the dyes are not formulatedfor linen. I've had leather dye run and fade from the thread. In any case,since I already have a number of colours in the barbour's #50, I would haveliked to acquire a few more to give me a more or less complete range. Idon't think I could match the depth of colour of the barbour's thread withleather dye. Obviously, with something like bookbinding, there is someconcern regarding the permanence of the dye, especially with something asvisible as the endbands.

Now, one could argue that I should dye the linen thread using traditionalnatural dyes. My dyer friends tell me that dyeing linen is difficult, andso I'm trying to steer clear of that option. It's bad enough that I'm dressingand dyeing skins by traditional means for my bindings! If I have to startdabbling in textile dyeing as well, I'll never finish any books!

Cheers, Rick

From: Kel Rekuta <krekuta@tor.hookup.net>Newsgroups: soc.history.living,rec.org.scaSubject: Re: Barbour's Linen ThreadDate: 7 Oct 1995 04:53:26 GMTOrganization: HookUp Communication Corporation, Oakville, Ontario, CANADA> >> >I've been buying Barbour linen thread from Mid-Continent Leather> >Sales, PO Box 4691, Tulsa, OK 74159 (1-800-926-2061 or> >1-918-747-2061). They only carry the white, but I have always dyed my> >thread to colour myself. They sell it in 1000 yd. spools.> >--> > al Thaalibi -- An Crosaire, Trimaris> > Ron Charlotte -- Gainesville, FL> > afn03234@freenet.ufl.edu > >> Good my lords--> > Would it not be possible to contact Barbour's itself to obtain the name> of the nearest retail outlet that carries all of its product line? > Even companies that only market their goods wholesale usually provide> interested potential retail customers this information.> > ciorstan> Sorry folks. I'm a leather and thread merchant in the mundane world.I can absolutely guarantee you that Barbour's in Ireland doesn't keeprecords of who sells their thread. They sell it to a big USA distributorwho in turn sells it all over including Canadian sources. They will allhand you down the line to the next finder, wholesaler, notions storealong the line.

Cut to the chase. Look up thread in your local business Yellow pages.Call the listings. Ask them who has old stock, especially linen. Home inand call them. Sooner or later someone will have a bunch of old linen thread they will be tickled pink to sell you. Nobody in the needle tradeuses linens when synthetics are superior in cost effectiveness and selectionof colour.

And don't ask me, Balderick already has the basic colours from me.I can't get any bright colours at all. Two tones of drabs, white, black and brown. Sorry.

<< how is an embroidery needle different from a sharp? is a chenille needle just a large needle with a large eye and sharp point? >>

An embroidery needle has a longer eye than a sharp to accomidate emdroideryfloss and as far as i can tell a chenille needle is merely a large sharpneedle with a large eye. Also with needles and size: the larger the sizenumber, the smaller the needle.

<< regarding hand sewing needles: how is a quilting between different from a sharp? how is an embroidery needle different from a sharp? is a chenille needle just a large needle with a large eye and sharp point? >>

A quilting needle has the same small round eye as a sharp but is shorter.

An "embroidery needle" is what used to be labelled as a "crewel" and has amuch longer eye than a sharp and is proportionately longer as well.

A chenille needle is better defined as "a tapestry needle with a point."(it's fatter and has a bigger eye than others)

I got a neat little book at EGA national that illustrates all the sizes of allthe types and, facing each such list, has a page of wool felt to store yourown in.